Powder injection molding process for fabrication of piezoelectric 2D array ultrasound transducer

Abstract

Powder injection molding process has been developed for a cost-effective fabrication of micro PZT array in diagnostic 2D array ultrasound transducer. The developed process consists six main steps; mold insert fabrication, mixing of powder and binder, injection molding, demolding of sacrificial mold insert, solvent and thermal debinding, densification of PZT ceramics. 1-3 type PZT/polymer composite fabricated by developed process shows 0.67 of electromechanical coupling property in plain mode and 0.56 in rod array mode which are 99% and 96% of reference property. Based on high productivity and shape complexity of ceramic injection molding, micro-manufacturing process for micro-scale PZT transducer has been demonstrated with according piezoelectric performance characterization.